THK BOTTERKIX. 627 



Ma}' ; but the greater part seldom comiueuce before the first or second week in Juno. It 

 would api^ear, however, from the following facts, that they vary exceedingly in this 

 respect. On the 19th of July, 1833, a perfect egg was taken out of a female, which had 

 been recently killed on Robinson ; and on the 2Uth of May, 1834, I received four 

 dotterells from Keswick, which had been shot on Great Gavel the day before. In the 

 ovary of one of them I found an egg almost quite ready for exclusion, being a difierence 

 of nearly eight weeks. So great a discrepancy, in aU probability, is of ^-ery rare occur- 

 rence; yet it will subsequently appear that eggs recently laid, and a young bird, a few 

 days old, were found on the same day, at no great distance from each other. The males 

 assist the females in the incubation of their eggs. How long incubation continues I have 

 not yet been able to ascertain ; but I am inclined to think that it rarely lasts much longer 

 than eighteen or twenty days. A week or two previous to their departure, they congre- 

 gate in flocks, and continue together luitil they finally leave this country, which takes 

 place sometimes during the latter part of August, at others not before the beginning of 

 September. A few birds no doubt are occasionally seen after this period ; but they arc 

 either late broods, or birds that are returning from more northern latitudes. This autunan 

 I visited several breeding-stations on the 25th of August, and again on the 2nd of Sep- 

 tember, but in neither instance could I observe a single individual. 



" Anxious as I have been for several years past to procure the eggs of the dotterell, for 

 the pm-pose of adding undoubted specynens of so rare an egg to my cabinet, as well as to 

 prove beyond all doubt that this bird breeds in Cumberland ; yet it was not until the 

 present year that I had the gratification of accomplishing an object which I have had so 

 long in view. After repeated excursions through the lake district this summer for the 

 express purpose, I was so fortunate as to obtain their eggs in two different localities ; 

 namel}-, three on Whiteside, contiguous to Helvellyn, on the 29th of June, and two on 

 the oth of July, on Robinson, in the vicinity of Btittermere. The former had been 

 incubated twelve or fourteen days ; the latter were only recently laid ; and, in both 

 instances, the birds were seen to leave their eggs : one, on quitting them, immediately 

 spread out its wings and tail, which it trailed oil the ground a short distance, and 

 then went away without uttering a single note. On this daj% 5th of July, 1835, a young 

 bird, a few days old, was also captiu'ed. 



" Having spent a considerable portion of several days on Robinson, in company with a 

 very able assistant, searching for the eggs of the dotterell, I had, of course, ample oppor- 

 tunities of observing tlieir manners ; and I flatter myself that the following particidars 

 wiU be interesting to some of my ornithological readers. On the 3rd of July, we found 

 three or four pair near the most elevated part of this mountain ; and on all our visits 

 thither, whether earl}^ in the morning or late in the afternoon, the greater part were 

 always seen near the same place, sitting on the gromid. When first discovered, they 

 permitted us to approach within a short distance, without showing any symptoms of 

 alarm ; and frequently afterwards, when within a few paces, watching their movements, 

 some would move slowly about and pick up an insect ; others would remain motionless, 

 now and then stretching out their wngs ; and a few would occasionally toy with each 

 other, at the same time uttering a few low notes, which had some resemblance to those 

 of the common linnet. In short, they appeai'ed to be so very indifferent with regard to 

 our presence, that at last my assistant could not avoid exclaiming, ' What stupid birds 

 these are ! ' The female that had young nevertheless evinced considerable anxiety for 

 their safety, whenever we came near the place where they were concealed, and as long as we 

 remained in the vicinity, constantly flew to and fro above us, uttering her note of alarm. 



" As soon as the young birds were fully feathered, two were killed for the purpose of 

 examining their plumage ; and we found that after they had been tired at once or twice, 

 thej' became more wary, and eventually we had some little difficulty in approaching 



